RWBY 6 5 - Strange Reunions
by Darkpenn
Summary: Team RWBY returns to Vale, and encounters some old – and much needed – allies.


**Strange Reunions**

 _Team RWBY return to Vale, and encounter some old – and much needed – allies._

[Author's note: This story follows the story _Different Directions_ , and is the fifth episode of a fanfic version of volume 6.]

"Well, at least they're talking to each other," said Weiss to Ruby as the four members of Team RWBY left the airship that had brought them to Vale.

"Now the problem is going to be to get them to shut up," said Ruby, watching Yang and Blake chatter like a pair of schoolgirls.

Blake came up to Ruby. "Well, fearless leader, what do we do now?" she said. "As in, where do we lay our heads tonight?"

"Uh, what?" said Ruby.

"It's getting late and we need to get some rest," said Weiss.

"Uh, as team leader and mission strategist I can say that I don't do that level of detail," pronounced Ruby.

"Meaning you don't have any idea," said Yang.

"Well, um, that might indeed be the case," said Ruby.

Weiss sighed. "I stayed in a guesthouse when I first came to Vale, to attend Beacon," she said. "We can get some rooms there."

So they set off for it. Vale seemed noticeably quieter: presumably, the battle – and now the presence of a huge number of Grimm at Beacon Academy – had induced quite a few people to leave. Some buildings were still unrepaired but there were stores open and people on the streets.

"I've got a great idea," said Yang. "We should go to that nightclub tonight. Junior's."

"Isn't that the place you wrecked?" said Weiss.

"Oh, I'm sure they've forgotten all about that," said Yang.

"We are here on an important and dangerous mission," said Ruby. "Not to dance and drink and have a good time."

"I'm voting for the dancing, drinking and good time," said Blake.

The others looked at her.

"What?" she said.

"I have to say that I'm inclined to the nightclub concept as well," said Weiss. "After all, it's been a while since we had any fun. Ruby, you're outvoted. But if you want you can stay at the guesthouse and ... oh, I don't know, plan something."

Ruby drew herself up to her full, if not very impressive, height. She said: "As leader, I have an obligation to ensure that you three do not make complete drunken fools of yourselves. So ... I will accompany you."

"Then ... no drunken foolishness?" said Yang.

"We can but hope," said Blake.

So after checking in to two rooms at the guesthouse they set off for Junior's. They were almost there when they saw, through a gap between buildings, the wrecked tower of Beacon Academy. In the light of the moon, they could see the dragon, still frozen on a pillar. There were Gryphons and Giant Nevermores perched all over the tower and the roofs of the Academy buildings. A lot of them.

"So the plan is to get past all the Grimm, get up there, and kill the dragon, is it?" said Yang.

"Uh, yes," said Ruby.

"Right, just checking," said Yang.

"Ruby, I don't suppose you remember what you did last time, to freeze it?" said Weiss.

"Er, no. Sorry."

They came to the entrance of the nightclub. The door attendant stared at them.

"Hi!" said Yang.

"Oh no," said the attendant. He spoke into his radio: "Emergency, Code Yellow! She's back!"

"Forgotten all about it, eh?" muttered Weiss.

In a moment, half-a-dozen guys came bursting out of the club. They pulled out guns and pointed them at Yang. Then Junior, the club manager, appeared. He looked at Yang and said: "You again. Have you come to engage in more wanton destruction?"

"Hey, you hit me with a club, and fired missiles at me!"

"Because you beat most of my employees senseless!"

"They were senseless before I beat them!"

Junior seemed unimpressed, and disinclined to let them in.

"How about if we promise to keep her under control?" said Weiss.

"And just how do you intend to do that?" said Junior.

"Uh, well, hmm ... yes, I see your point," said Weiss.

A woman's voice came from behind them. "They're with us," it said.

They all turned to see who had spoken.

Coco Adel. With Fox Alistair.

Coco grinned her impish grin.

Yang said: "Son of a ... !"

Blake said: "Gosh."

"Hmm," said Junior. "Well, in that case, Coco, if you vouch for them ... " He and his men stood aside.

The six of them found a relatively quiet booth, and Fox told the waiter to bring 'the usual'.

"Well, this is a surprise," said Ruby. "No, that doesn't really say it. Not even close."

"Is the rest of Team Coffee alright?" said Weiss.

"Yes, and we've been trying to keep the number of Grimm down," said Coco. "For a while we were fighting on the road that the Grimm were using to get to Beacon. That kept them back long enough for Glynda to construct a barricade. Since then, we've been trying to keep the Grimm at Beacon from coming into Vale. Dusted quite a few."

"How many?" said Yang.

"I,763," said Fox. "Of various types."

"Whoa," said Weiss. "That must be some sort of record."

Coco shrugged.

The drinks arrived. Ruby picked hers up and stared at it. "This," she said, "is not milk."

"True, but you're probably ready for a grown-up drink," said Yang.

"Guess we'll find out," said Weiss.

"Here's a toast," said Yang. "To 1,763 fewer problems."

They drank. Ruby burst into a fit of coughing and spluttering.

"Leadership in action," said Yang, whacking her sister on the back.

Blake was staring at the people on the dance floor.

"Um ... " she said.

They all looked at her. She turned a little red. "Uh ... " she said.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" said Weiss. "So ask her already!"

"Yangwouldyouliketodance," blurted Blake. "Uh, with me, I mean. I mean, _with_ me."

"Damn straight I would," said Yang. In a moment she had grabbed Blake's hand and led her to the dance floor.

Weiss was looking around. "Hey, that guy over there looks sort of cute," she said. She got out of the booth and went over to him and a few moments later they were on the dance floor.

"This is not how I remember Team RWBY," said Fox, watching Yang and Blake dancing close.

"Well, you know, stuff happens," said Ruby.

"We would like to hear it," said Coco.

So Ruby began to recount the various adventures of the four of them.

* * *

Deep below the vault of Haven Academy, in the darkness, on a floor of black rock, a small pool of water was forming, as ice melted slowly.

A single eye blinked.

* * *

"Well, that's quite a bit nicer than the rest of Vacuo," said Ren. "Uh, no offence, Sun."

"None taken," said Sun. "You know, Vacuo used to be a much better place to live, once upon a time. Or so I heard. But the war, and decades of Dust mining ... well, now it's what you see."

"But this is pleasant," said Ilia. She and the others were looking at the garden that surrounded the buildings of Shade Academy. Flowers, well-tended shrubs and, a bit further away, a burgeoning vegetable patch.

A dumpy, middle-aged woman in dirty overalls came over to them.

"Hi," said Nora. "Can you tell us how to find the principal?"

The woman gave her some instructions. But she was looking at Ilia.

Nora thanked the woman and the team set off.

"That was ... a bit strange," said Ilia.

"What was strange?" said Ren. "We asked her for directions and she gave them to us."

"Mmm," said Ilia.

They were almost at the office when they heard someone call out. Two young women came up to them. Nebula Violette and Octavia Ember, of Team NDGO.

"Hi," said Nebula. "Haven't seen you guys since ... that thing. What brings you to charming Vacuo?"

Nora gave a quick explanation. Nebula offered to introduce them to the principal, and they went into the office together.

The Principal of Shade Academy was an elderly man called Doctor Sweep. He was obviously busy – his desk was groaning under the weight of papers – but he listened carefully to what Team VALIANT had to say.

"Sorry, but I can't help you," he said. "You have to go a long way back in the history books to find any mention of the Winter Maiden."

"How about a relic?" said Ren. "There is supposed to be one at each Academy. In a vault."

"We don't have a vault," said Doctor Sweep. "You must understand that Shade has much less in the way of resources than the other academies. And students as well. Only about ten currently enrolled. Nebula and Octavia here have been good enough to take up teaching positions – unpaid, unfortunately. Although obviously the term has not started yet."

"How about Team BRNZ?" said Sun.

"They, with the other members of Team NDGO, are currently doing patrol duty in the north. We are seeing increasing amounts of Grimm activity there, and they are doing what they can to keep it under control."

"No vault," murmured Ren.

"No," said Doctor Sweep. "We have a basement, though. We use it mainly to store old furniture and stuff. Like I told the other fellow a few days ago."

"Uh, what other fellow?" said Nora.

"The fellow who was doing academic research. Tall, well-dressed, interested in everything. Very disappointed that I couldn't do anything for him."

"Uh, his name wouldn't have been Watts, would it?" said Ren.

"Yes, Arthur Watts. Do you know him?"

"In a manner of speaking," said Sun.

Team VALIANT exchanged glances. This was not a good development.

Doctor Sweep told them that they were welcome to stay at the Academy. Nebula and Octavia showed them to some vacant rooms. The two women were very interested to hear of events since the Battle of Beacon and wanted to continue the discussion over lunch. They headed for the mess hall but Ilia said she would meet them there later. Something she wanted to do, she said.

Ilia went back to the garden. She liked the sense of growth, the variety of what was there. She saw the gardener and went over to her.

"I thought you would be back," said the woman.

"Why were you looking at me before?" said Ilia.

The woman smiled. "I'm old enough to know a troubled soul when I see one," she said.

Ilia stared at her. "Maybe," she said.

"Dear, do you know the best remedy for trouble? Dirt."

"Uh, dirt?"

"Dirt. There's some seedlings over there, ready to go in. Grab a spade and get digging."

As they worked, digging and planting, Ilia found herself talking. About Blake, about White Fang, about Team VALIANT, about everything. Even about Salem.

"Salem," murmured the gardener. "Her."

"You know about Salem?"

The woman said nothing. She continued to put seedlings into the ground.

It began to grow dark. "I should go and meet up with my friends," said Ilia. She handed the woman her spade.

"Come again tomorrow," said the woman.

Ilia found the others in the mess hall. She told them how she had spent the afternoon. "That woman, the gardener," she said. "She ... she knows a lot of things."

"She is an institution here at Shade," said Octavia. "And the wisest person I have ever met."

* * *

The little boat ran onto the beach of the island and Hazel, Emerald, Mercury and Adam jumped out. The Nevermore flew to a nearby tree and perched there. Hazel said they would make camp before setting out for the crash site next day.

As they ate a meal made with supplies from the boat, Mercury said: "Hazel, I'm sorry that you lost your sister. I ... we ... didn't know."

"I don't understand much about families but I'm sure it was very hard for you," added Emerald.

Hazel stared at them. "Thank you," he said. "No-one has ever said that before."

"Well, you do look a ... bit intimidating," said Emerald. "But at least people take you seriously."

"Have you considered wearing less revealing clothing?" said Adam. "Not that I am complaining."

Emerald, with a smile, flipped him a finger.

Hazel gave a little chuckle.

 _Never heard that before_ , thought Mercury.

END (to be continued)


End file.
